The present invention relates to a motor-vehicle door latch. More particularly this invention concerns a bolt for such a latch.
A bolt assembly is used in combination with a door-post surface and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. The bolt assembly has as described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,324 a metal plate unitarily formed with a pair of flat coplanar flanges each formed with a mounting hole and a holding portion projecting laterally from the flanges. A mass of a durable plastic material generally covers at least the flanges of the plate and forms an outside surface engaging the door-post surface and an inside surface turned away from the door-post surface. The bolt is formed at the holding portion with a transversely open recess adapted to receive the latch element. The flanges have raised portions extending to and exposed at the outside surface for direct contact with the door-post surface but otherwise are wholly imbedded beneath the inside and outside surfaces of the mass at the flanges.
Such a bolt must be mounted with great precision on the door so that the door closes flush with the vehicle body, does not rattle when closed, and so that the closing and opening movements take place quietly and smoothly. The installation is normally done by first securing it finger-tight with two bolts that have heads bearing on the flange plate and a threaded shank passing through slots in the door port seated in nuts welded to a mounting plate inside the door post. The door is fitted and the bolt is moved into the appropriate position, then the bolts are torqued down to lock in the set position. This is a laborious job requiring expert assembly skills and even the use of jigs or templates to determine just where the bolt should be mounted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle door latch.
Another object is the provision of such an improved bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle door latch which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which facilitates accurate positioning of the bolt assembly on the door post.
A bolt assembly is used in combination with a door-post surface formed with at least one centering recess and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. The assembly has according to the invention a mounting plate having an inner face engaging the door-post surface and an opposite outer face, a bolt projecting from the outer face and engageable by the latch element, and at least one centering formation projecting from the inner face and engaged in the door-post surface.
The centering formations allow the bolt assembly to be mounted in the desired position on the door post without the use of a template or jig. In fact the bolt assembly can normally be fixed in its final position as a result of the accurate placement ensured by the centering formations, allowing the mounting bolts to be torqued down all the way on initial installation.
According to the invention friction-increasing surface formations are also provided on the inner face engageable with the door-bolt surface. They can be bumps or ridges formed on the inner flange face. When the flange is formed of a metal core with a plastic covering over the core, the formations are formed by the plastic covering.
The centering formation in accordance with the invention can be unitary with the flange. Alternately it can be formed by a pin or pins set in the flange. The pin can be cylindrical or of polygonal section. The bolt assembly is symmetrical to plane and there are two such centering formations flanking the plane. Normally the recesses or holes in the door post that receive the centering formations are slightly larger than these formations to allow some adjustability of the bolt position. In any case after installation the centering formations further prevent slippage of the bolt assembly on the door post.
The plate and bolt are covered with plastic except at a portion of the bolt engageable with the fork. In addition a decorative cover is fitted over the outer face of the mounting plate. This cover is snap-fitted to the plate. The plastic coating and cover can be colored to match the vehicle, presenting an attractive appearance.